Finance & Business / Reported update
Sentiment falls to 46.3; its components diverge
The University of Michigan’s preliminary October sentiment index was 46.3, down from 48.1 in September: 1.8 index points, or about 3.7%. Liz Ann Sonders and Claudia Sahm highlighted the release. Current conditions fell from 50.9 to 44.7, while expectations rose from 46.3 to 47.3.
The university cites weaker durable-goods buying conditions amid high prices and borrowing costs, with larger confidence declines among lower-income households and those holding fewer stocks. One-year inflation expectations edged from 4.6% to 4.7%; longer-run expectations rose from 3.4% to 3.5%. These are expectations, not realized inflation.
The survey measures attitudes and plans, not spending or recession directly. Final October results are scheduled for October 23 and may revise the preliminary reading.
Sources and further reading
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Selected through a verified followed account: @LizAnnSonders.